Maryland woman wins life-changing $50,000 lottery prize after thoughtful gift from her mom

A Maryland woman won a life-changing prize on the lottery after her mother bought her a ticket as a gift.

The woman, from Frederick, was gifted a Bonus Match 5 lottery ticket by her mom and bagged a $50,000 prize with the thoughtful present. She told Maryland Lottery officials that she finds herself very rarely playing lottery games, but that both her husband and her parents play regularly.

She then confirmed that they will sometimes give her tickets to get her to play too. The woman revealed that her mother bought her the $6 Bonus Match 5 ticket for the September 23 draw. She said at the time she had joked: "I'm tired of working and I need you to get me my winning lottery ticket."

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While she didn't earn enough to fund her retirement from the win the woman did secure a welcome $50,000 prize which is still a life-changing amount. She says she plans to use her winnings to boost her finances by paying off her college loan debt and is also considering taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris in the future.

The news comes after Maryland man Tim Todd of Huntingtown hit the jackpot when he added the Megaplier option to his Mega Millions ticket, boosting a significant win from $10,000 to a staggering $40,000 in the Maryland September 3 drawing.

"I do it all the time. It's more money that you can win," said the 52-year-old about his strategy of using an extra dollar for the Megaplier feature on his lottery tickets. While running errands at the grocery store, Tim decided to check his $15 quick-pick ticket. As he began to scan it, an unexpected message flashed: "Go to Lottery."

Tim, an electrician, shared, "I said, 'This must be something good,'" recalling the moment with anticipation. Tim couldn't contain his curiosity about his winnings and had the clerk confirm his big win, finding that he was indeed the holder of a $40,000 prize ticket.

As for his future plans with his windfall, Tim intends to clear some bills. While he's still contemplating other uses for the money, one thing is for sure: He's thrilled with the outcome. “I was happy when I won on the third line,” Tim said with a smile.

The Washington Commanders enthusiast has a quirky ritual: He buys a ticket, folds it in half, and keeps it in his wallet for luck. Despite his wife's suggestion to buy just one line per draw, he prefers a five-line choice that pays off, as the third line won him the prize, a detail that brings a smile to Tim's face.

Tim's winning ticket came from the Dunkirk Wawa on 10245 Kirksville Lane in Calvert County.